Report: Former Germany player Özil joins Erdogan’s party board

Former Germany international Mesut Özil has become a board member of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s AKP party, the Anadolu news agency reported on Sunday.

According to the report, the 2014 World Cup champion was appointed to the board during the Islamic-conservative party congress in Ankara alongside 38 new members.

The board, known as MKYK, consists of 75 members in total.

In practice, the party board has little significance. A constitutional amendment in 2017 replaced the parliamentary system in Turkey with a presidential system. Since then, Erdogan has been able to rule largely without restriction.

In addition, many parts of the judiciary system are under the control of the government, as the EU Commission has certified. According to Anadolu, Erdogan has been re-elected as party leader at the congress with all 1,547 votes cast.

Özil’s Germany career effectively ended after he was photographed with Erdogan in 2018, sparking a backlash in Germany about where the German-born Turk’s loyalties lay.

Last summer, Özil was spotted at the Olympic stadium in Berlin sitting behind Erdogan during the Euro 2024 match between Turkey and the Netherlands.